Letting go of an employee in the right way is never easy. One can say that the exit interview is just as challenging as the onboarding process of an employee. Yet, the importance recruiters and employers place in the recruitment process of an employee is far more than that of an exit process of the same employee. But not conducting an exit interview the right way, can harm the company in the long run. Regardless of the reason an employee exits an organization, as their employer, it’s important that you conduct an exit interview that not only helps you understand why they chose to leave but also the employee as they get a chance to speak freely about their experience. The analysis can help you reduce your employee turnover rate.
An Exit Interview refers to the interview that happens between an employee who is exiting an organization and usually a member of the human resources team. It’s essential to carry out the exit interview in the right way as it gives the employer the opportunity to learn why the employee is leaving the organization and with the analysis, moving forward, they can try to make those specific changes in the workplace favouring future employees.
An exit interview is an important part of the offboarding process. There are three main reasons why exit interviews are really important?
The main purpose of exit interviews is to find out as much as you can about the impressions your employees have of you and why they are leaving. And this is especially important with global turnover rates rising so sharply as an effect of The Great Resignation.
While you may not be legally required conduct exit interviews, there are a number of benefits of conducting them.
The exit interview process must be carried out carefully and effectively as it leaves a lasting impression about the organization on the exiting employee. There are certain practices you can follow to conduct an effective interview and some compelling questions you can ask the exiting employees. With this information, you can craft a template that you can follow for most exit interviews.
Sometimes a face-to-face interview may work, and with some employees a video call or a written questionnaire may work. Depending on the employee’s comfort, you can choose any of the formats to conduct an interview
The first and foremost important aspect is choosing the right person to interview the exiting employee. What does this mean exactly? The employee exiting the organization may be comfortable speaking to an interviewer who is neutral, someone they haven’t been working for or reporting to directly. An HR (Human Resource) who is calm, kind and non-judgemental and is liked by all is usually the best choice.
The departing employee must feel at ease to talk to you and share their honest feedback. Not only does this make the employee feel comfortable and better and not guilty, but for the employers, this could be a great opportunity to understand the problems and act on them.
The notice period could be quite difficult for both the employer and the employee. The former may be filled with questions as to why the employee is leaving and the latter could have a lot of mixed emotions as they are exiting the organization where they have made a commitment and connection with the organization. So, its best schedule the exit interview date as close as possible to their exit time, as they will feel much more at ease to share honest feedback at the time.
Ask questions that can help you understand the reasons for the employee’s departure from the organization, but also bear in mind as to not bog them down with too many intense questions. Keep it casual, more like a peer-to-peer talk. You can ask them questions like
Ensure the employee that anything and everything they have to say is strictly confidential and they have all the rights to speak freely and openly about their concerns.
You may send a summary of their feedback and corrective measures you will take in the future. This will help maintain a good relationship with the employee even after their departure.
Use this checklist to get the results you’re looking for while making the most of your departing employee’s time.
Exit interviews are one of the most valuable tools for organizations to gather feedback from departing employees and gain insights into their workplace culture, management practices, and areas for improvement. These interviews enable companies to better understand the reasons behind employee turnover, identify patterns that may indicate larger issues, and implement changes to improve retention and engagement.
When handled professionally, exit interviews can provide actionable feedback that contributes to long-term organizational growth and employee satisfaction. Ultimately, they serve as a bridge for continuous improvement, making them a key part of a company’s human resource strategy.